Death by diet pills

24th April 2007

Experts are warning that many women are risking their lives by taking slimming pills bought on-line.

Many diet pills are banned in Britain but are still available over the internet due to a legal loophole allowing overseas chemists to sell drugs on-line. It is estimated there are over 2,000 websites selling drugs without a prescription to customers worldwide in an industry worth £30 billion. What experts fear is that UK consumers of the drugs are unaware of the dangerous side-effects including strokes, panic attacks and even death. Such is some people’s pre-occupation with becoming slim that they will pay up to £100 a week for diet pills which do help them to lose weight in the short term but can cause long-term damage to their health.

Most slimming supplements work in a similar way to amphetamines by suppressing a person’s appetite and stimulating the release of certain chemicals in the brain which reduce hunger pangs. Common side effects include mood swings, chest pains, tremors and an irregular heart beat and an overdose can lead to hallucinations, seizures, severe headaches, blurred vision and vomiting. According to the UN International Narcotics Control Board, the popular slimming pill phentermine is one of the most commonly abused drugs along with other similar amphetamine-type drugs collectively known as "anorectics". The board is so worried about the numbers of people abusing anorectics (set to overtake those abusing illegal narcotics) that it is calling for world governments to take action.

Recently a 21-year-old Brazilian model, Ana Carolina Reston, died after taking a dangerous mixture of slimming pills and analgesics.